It was around this time last summer when Liverpool were actively pursuing a long-term solution for their defensive midfield position.
Romeo Lavia, then of Southampton, was seen as the perfect target because of his youth, skillset and proven experience in the Premier League. Having said that, the Reds still haggled over a few million pounds and the deal never came to fruition.
Cue the arrival of Chelsea sniffing around Lavia and Liverpool took that as a massive affront. So much so that they agreed to pay Brighton £110 million for Ecuadorian Moises Caicedo.
It looked like FSG had finally opened the coffers and gotten one over on their rivals, until they didn't. Within what felt like hours, Caicedo had publicly stated he preferred a move to Stamford Bridge over Anfield, despite the club's agreement on a deal.
A worrying trend in LFC's transfer dealings
So, like a scorned lover, Liverpool returned to Lavia's camp with the expected relief that they could still have the Belgian.
They even agreed to an over-the-top fee of £50m with the Saints for his services, only for Lavia to also publicly reject the Reds for the Blues.
In the span of around 48 hours, the Reds missed out on two high-potential defensive midfield options in very public and embarrassing fashion. This was not a case of the club not getting a deal done, it was players very openly saying Anfield was not for them.
Now, almost 12 months to the day, we are seemingly in the same exact block once again. Over the last week, Liverpool's pursuit of Euro 2024 winner Martin Zubimendi has picked up pace across all media outlets.
At 25, he was just entering his prime and had proven himself at the the highest level. In addition, his club, Real Sociedad, are not a heavyweight like the Merseyside outfit is.
His reasonable release clause of £52m meant that Michael Edwards was comfortable sanctioning the move as soon as possible. A weekend decision was delayed until Monday evening when Zubimendi informed Richard Hughes he would be staying in Spain.
Edwards returns, but same result?
When transfer guru Michael Edwards announced he would make a shock return to Anfield earlier this year, Reds fans and staff were overjoyed.
We would once again be wrapping up astute deals that nobody saw coming without breaking the balance books. That is just what this Zubimendi deal looked like as well.
However, as of this writing, it is yet another public rejection for the club to deal with, and now on the cusp of the new season, they remain the only team in the Premier League without a senior team signing this summer.
The Spaniard was convinced by his current club to stick around and spurn the chance to join the Arne Slot evolution.
This summer began with some excitement, but now has quickly turned into a very familiar nightmare for Liverpool fans. Transfer deadline day is now fast approaching and we are no closer to securing a significant addition to the squad with meaningful games soon to arrive.
Something must change and it must happen quickly.